At
MSPO 2011, the German Company MAN Rheinmetall Military Vehicles presents
the light armoured vehicle, the Gavial Plus. One year after introducing
the Gavial, Rheinmetall Defence launched its new Gavial Plus, an innovative
light armoured multipurpose vehicle.

Rheinmetall
MAN Military Vehicles booth at MSPO 2011

The Gavial Plus is the product
of continued cooperation between Rheinmetall and Panhard, renowned French
manufacturer of wheeled tactical vehicles. Named, appropriately enough,
after a well-armoured species of Indian crocodile, this enhanced version
of the French Army’s Petit Véhicule Protégé
(PVP) can be configured for a variety of tactical roles in extremely
tough environments.

Sharing a majority
of components with his smaller brother, the Gavial Plus is a highly
mobile, well-protected, all-wheel-drive vehicle, light and compact enough
to be airlifted by a CH 47 transport helicopter as underslung cargo.
For a vehicle in its weight class, the Gavial Plus offers outstanding
protection against small arms fire, mines and IEDs. It is powered by
an advanced high-performance diesel engine, and handles extremely well
both on and off the road, even in shifting sand dunes and rocky terrain.

With a combat weight of 7.5 tons and a large internal volume of 6.6
m3 the Gavial Plus (known in French as the PVP-HD) can carry up to seven
soldiers and lends itself to a wide variety of missions, including reconnaissance,
command and control, transport and patrolling. It can also be equipped
with various weapon stations. Moreover, there is still enough space
in the rear of the vehicle for stowing mission-relevant material and
the soldiers’ personal equipment.